Performer, composer and teacher, Enrique Granados stood with de Falla and Albéniz as the most outstanding Spanish musician of his time. Among his dozen or so chamber works the Piano Trio and Piano Quintet, both from 1894, exemplify Granados’s highly expressive, Neo-romantic style, his piano writing revealing the hand of a virtuoso. Amiable touches of dance and salon music, hints of Moorish, gypsy and folkloric elements, co-exist in these beautiful, refined pieces. The famous Intermezzo from his opera Goyescas, an Aragonese jota, is heard here in Gaspar Cassadó’s popular arrangement.
Like that of many other composers, Granados’s career can, if one insists, be divided into three periods—in his case, Romantic, nationalist, and Goya-esque (?). These two pieces, among his few works for chamber ensemble, would fall into the Romantic (or “neo-Romantic,” as the annotator prefers) category. They do not sound particularly Spanish and establish Granados’s ability to write mainstream European music. The rhapsodic trio is an elegant piece, full of beautiful melodies and clever, imaginative touches. I am happy to have made its acquaintance. The quintet takes a more “serious,” conventional tack and has a nice, showy piano part, reflecting Granados’s skills at the instrument. I don’t expect to hear any better performances in the near future since neither of these pieces is a standard-repertoire item.
The opera Goyescas is based on the earlier piano suite of the same name. The librettist had to fit the words to existing music. It was supposed to receive its premiere in Paris but World War I intervened. Eventually, the Metropolitan Opera stepped in and in 1915 Granados sailed to New York for the first performance (January 1916). Because the Met had trouble making a fast scene change, he dashed off an Intermezzo to fill the necessary time. Ironically, it turned out to be one of his most popular pieces. As a good will gesture, Woodrow Wilson invited him to a reception at the White House, so Granados canceled his ship reservations and took a later sailing. He and his wife arrived safely in Liverpool but then took another ship to the continent. It was torpedoed in the English Channel and the composer and his wife were both drowned. Pablo Casals was a good friend of Granados and Gaspar Cassadó, who arranged the Intermezzo for piano trio, was one of his more successful pupils. --James Miller. Fanfare, September 2010
The opera Goyescas is based on the earlier piano suite of the same name. The librettist had to fit the words to existing music. It was supposed to receive its premiere in Paris but World War I intervened. Eventually, the Metropolitan Opera stepped in and in 1915 Granados sailed to New York for the first performance (January 1916). Because the Met had trouble making a fast scene change, he dashed off an Intermezzo to fill the necessary time. Ironically, it turned out to be one of his most popular pieces. As a good will gesture, Woodrow Wilson invited him to a reception at the White House, so Granados canceled his ship reservations and took a later sailing. He and his wife arrived safely in Liverpool but then took another ship to the continent. It was torpedoed in the English Channel and the composer and his wife were both drowned. Pablo Casals was a good friend of Granados and Gaspar Cassadó, who arranged the Intermezzo for piano trio, was one of his more successful pupils. --James Miller. Fanfare, September 2010
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